The subjects of the world of Jinn, magic, and evil eye is vast, difficult to condense into a single article. There are a lot of facts as well as fiction relating to these topics but the main point of focus in this article is to explain the correct beliefs regarding the world of the unseen and how we should equip ourselves against harm.

► History of Jinn
The Jinn were created way before the creation of humankind. If you look in the Qur’an, you will find stories of the jinn, in particular, Iblees and his encounter with the angels. When Allah would decree a matter and inform His angels, the jinn would listen and convey it to sorcerers.

► Their Creation
The jinn are created from smokeless fire as Allah mentioned in the Qur’an,

► Are all Jinn evil?This is a misconception amongst many Muslims. In reality, not all jinn are evil as Allah says,

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الصَّالِحُونَ وَمِنَّا دُونَ ذَٰلِكَ ۖ كُنَّا طَرَ‌ائِقَ قِدَدً“And among us are the righteous, and among us are [others] not so; we were [of] divided ways.”{Surah Jinn 72: verse11}

There are some Jinn who are evil like Iblees but there are others who are righteous and worship Allah. They even have scholars amongst them! :O

► PossessionAllah has given Jinns the ability to dwell inside human beings but this can only happen by His power, Glory be to Him. Only Allah can allow their harm to be afflicted upon a person. Many sorcerers and magicians will communicate with the Jinn and tell them to possess an individual. But before doing that, the Jinn makes a contract with the magician that he/she has to do an act of disbelief like stamp on the Qur’an or defecate on the Qur’an. Of course after doing this, the magician has become a disbeliever and only then will the Jinn assist that magician, sorcerer or palm reader. The magician will then command the evil Jinn to enter the body of a person and the Jinn will do so except those whom Allah wishes to protect.

► Jinn are like humansJinn are just like humans in the sense they marry, have children, follow a religion, eat etc. Allah said in the Qur’an,

وَأَنَّا مِنَّا الْمُسْلِمُونَ وَمِنَّا الْقَاسِطُونَ ۖ فَمَنْ أَسْلَمَ فَأُولَـٰئِكَ تَحَرَّ‌وْا رَ‌شَدًا“And among us are Muslims [in submission to Allah], and among us are the unjust. And whoever has become Muslim – those have sought out the right course.” {Surah Jinn 72: Verse 14}

The Prophet ﷺ commanded us, “Do not perform Istinja, with dung, nor with bones. For indeed it is provisions for your brothers among the Jinn.” [Jami At-Tirmidhi No. 18]

► Their dwellingsMany people become scared of Jinn but in reality, the opposite is true! For that reason, the Jinn prefer to stay away from humans. This is why our Prophet ﷺ informed us that some Jinn like to live in filthy places like the toilet and thus, he taught us to recite a supplication before entering the toilet so as not be afflicted by their harm.
The righteous Jinn prefer to live with righteous people. This is why, there are righteous and good Jinn living in Masjid Al-Haram.

► Their formJinn cannot be seen in their original form but they can take the form of other creation like humans. There is a long narration in the books of hadith narrated by Abu Hurairah which you can find here:

Narrated Abu Huraira: Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) deputed me to keep Sadaqat (al-Fitr) of Ramadan. A comer came and started taking handfuls of the foodstuff (of the Sadaqa) (stealthily). I took hold of him and said, “By Allah, I will take you to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) .” He said, “I am needy and have many dependents, and I am in great need.” I released him, and in the morning Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked me, “What did your prisoner do yesterday?” I said, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! The person complained of being needy and of having many dependents, so, I pitied him and let him go.” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) said, “Indeed, he told you a lie and he will be coming again.” I believed that he would show up again as Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) had told me that he would return. So, I waited for him watchfully. When he (showed up and) started stealing handfuls of foodstuff, I caught hold of him again and said, “I will definitely take you to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ). He said, “Leave me, for I am very needy and have many dependents. I promise I will not come back again.” I pitied him and let him go.In the morning Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked me, “What did your prisoner do.” I replied, “O Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ)! He complained of his great need and of too many dependents, so I took pity on him and set him free.” Allah’s Apostle said, “Verily, he told you a lie and he will return.” I waited for him attentively for the third time, and when he (came and) started stealing handfuls of the foodstuff, I caught hold of him and said, “I will surely take you to Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) as it is the third time you promise not to return, yet you break your promise and come.” He said, “(Forgive me and) I will teach you some words with which Allah will benefit you.” I asked, “What are they?” He replied, “Whenever you go to bed, recite “Ayat-al-Kursi”– ‘Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-l-Haiy-ul Qaiyum’ till you finish the whole verse. (If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you and no satan will come near you till morning. ” So, I released him. In the morning, Allah’s Apostle asked, “What did your prisoner do yesterday?” I replied, “He claimed that he would teach me some words by which Allah will benefit me, so I let him go.” Allah’s Messenger (ﷺ) asked, “What are they?” I replied, “He said to me, ‘Whenever you go to bed, recite Ayat-al-Kursi from the beginning to the end —- Allahu la ilaha illa huwa-lHaiy-ul-Qaiyum—-.’ He further said to me, ‘(If you do so), Allah will appoint a guard for you who will stay with you, and no satan will come near you till morning.’ (Abu Huraira or another sub-narrator) added that they (the companions) were very keen to do good deeds. The Prophet (ﷺ) said, “He really spoke the truth, although he is an absolute liar. Do you know whom you were talking to, these three nights, O Abu Huraira?” Abu Huraira said, “No.” He said, “It was Satan.”[Bukhari]
Evidence –http://sunnah.com/bukhari/40/11

Jinn can also take the form of animals as the Prophet ﷺ instructed us to seek refuge in Allah when hearing the bark of a black dog as it the devil.

► Every person has with them a JinnFor every single human being, Allah has appointed for them a Jinn called in Arabic, ‘Qarn’ who will encourage them to do evil. Even the Prophet ﷺ had with him a Jinn but Allah gave the Prophet ﷺ strength to overpower his Qarn. The Prophet ﷺ also told us,

“Shaytan flows in the son of Adam like blood flows.”
[Adab Al-Mufrad No. 1288]

A person and their Qarn will be arguing on the Day of Judgement as Allah mentioned in the Qur’an,

► Common habits of ShaytanThe Prophet ﷺ informed us of things the Shaytan does so that we do not follow his way. From them are:

Sleeping on one’s stomach

Walking with one shoe on

Eating with the left

► Different types of devilsThere are different types of devils but the 6 main ones have 6 different roles.
✓ One has the duty to make a Muslim sleep over Fajr, his name is Kazrab.
✓ Another is appointed to create enmity in the marital home and cause divorce between a husband and wife.
✓ Another causes fights in the market.
✓ Another beautifies lying.
✓ Another whispers at the time of calamities and encourages people to do things that the Prophet warned against such as slapping the cheeks and tearing clothes.
✓ The last and final one beautifies the heinous act of zina.

► The Qur’an as a protectionAllah revealed the Qur’an and He described it with many different attributes; guidance, mercy, criterion. Allah also described the Qur’an as a cure, not only for spiritual illnesses but physical and medical ailments. The book of Allah is the greatest protection a Muslim has against devil possession and black magic. Suwar (Pl. of Surah) like Falaq and Naas were revealed specifically for protection against charm. Also, Ayat Al-Kursi will cause Allah’s protection to envelope a person whilst they sleep as angels will guard them throughout the night. The stronger your connection is with the Qur’an, the weaker the effect of Shaytan.

► The longest Surah in the Qur’an – Protection for the Muslim house

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Indeed Ash-Shaytan does not enter the house in which Surat Al-Baqarah is recited.”[Jami Tirmidhi No. 2877]

► Ajwa dates

The Prophet ﷺ said, “Whoever takes seven ‘Ajwa dates in the morning will not be effected by magic or poison on that day.” [Sahih Bukahri No. 671]

►Authentic AdhkarThere are supplications a person can find in the books of Du’a as well as in the Qur’an to recite against the Shaytan. One of them can be found in Surah Muminoon, verses 97 and 98. Read them, learn them and implement them!

And say, “My Lord, I seek refuge in You from the incitements of the devils, And I seek refuge in You, my Lord , lest they be present with me.”{Surah Al Muminoon 23: Verses 97-98}

►Questioned on the Day of JudgementAllah created the Jinn and the human beings to worship him alone,

On the day of Judgement, all the humans and Jinn will be questioned by Allah. It is only Allah who can harm and benefit. If Allah wishes to protect you, then no Jinn or human can harm you. I ask Allah that he protects us and our families from Jinn possession and black magic and may he grant a quick cure to those inflicted with these spiritual illnesses.

After understanding these facts, it isn’t possible to make mention of everything from the world of the unseen in an article or two as previous scholars have written works and volumes on this topic!

When it comes to the issue of Jinn and black magic, many people have misconceptions regarding them. Just like any other issue, this issue has two extremes which people fall into. Some will reject the existence of Jinns and black magic completely calling it a myth whilst others become paranoid to such a degree that they can’t live their life and worship Allah properly. Allah described this nation as one that is ‘balanced’; we don’t go one extreme or the other, rather we stay in the middle.

Everything mentioned in the Qur’an and in the authentic Sunnah must be accepted by every Muslim whether it is understood by their logic or not. Rejecting even a single letter of the Qur’an is disbelief and can put a person’s Islam to question.

At the very beginning of the Qur’an, Allah mentions a few characteristics of His believers; those who are conscience of him,

ذَٰلِكَ الْكِتَابُ لَا رَيْبَ ۛ فِيهِ ۛ هُدًى لِّلْمُتَّقِينَ“This is the Book about which there is no doubt, a guidance for those conscious of Allah”

الَّذِينَ يُؤْمِنُونَ بِالْغَيْبِ وَيُقِيمُونَ الصَّلَاةَ وَمِمَّا رَزَقْنَاهُمْ يُنفِقُونَ“Who believe in the unseen, establish prayer, and spend out of what We have provided for them,”{Surah Baqarah 2 : Verse 2-3}

From the creed of the Muttaqeen is that they believe in the unseen which involves the world of the angels, Jinns, black magic etc.

However, the harm of black magic and jinn possession is only limited to that which Allah allows. They can only harm if Allah permits. But our Lord and creator has given us different forms of protection (some mentioned above) but the greatest of those is the Qur’an; reading it, using it’s Du’as, acting upon it, and contemplating it. Why? Because through the Qur’an, a person strengthens and their relationship with Allah and this is the very essence; the closer you are to Allah, the more fortified you are from harm.

The blessings of a becoming a hafidha is something that every Muslimah desires to attain. However, the demands and multiple roles of a woman can make it very challenging to find the time to memorize the Qur’an, review it and be consistent with the effort.

With a womanly instinct and innate character to be a nurturer and caregiver, you could be a dedicated wife, mother, daughter, daughter-in-law, sister, friend, homemaker, working professional, student, social worker, volunteer, or a combination of many of these important roles and more!

With so many responsibilities to uphold, we as women then tend to put our “me time” on the back burner. And sometimes, even our own spiritual goals can be swept aside in favour of being there for someone else, leaving us feeling spiritually hungry, confused and battling with guilt.

Thankfully, technology can make it easier for us to find the time to pursue our spiritual goals such as Quran memorization, even on the busiest of days. We’d like to introduce you to Quran Companion, a new Quran memorization app from Quran Academy that’s perfect for the striving Ideal Muslimah living in today’s hectic modern world.

As a smartphone app, Quran Companion gives you the flexibility to memorize the Quran anywhere and anytime, without having to attend classes that you’re not sure you can commit to.

Got an extra 10 minutes because the baby is still fast asleep? Find yourself waiting in a restaurant because someone you’re meeting is running late? Or perhaps you have 20 minutes of silence in solitude after Fajr, before the members of your household are awake to demand your time, attention and care?

These are the perfect moments you can sneak in some time to use Quran Companion to memorize and revise the Quran. You’ll be surprised at how much you can actually achieve in the long run, even if you only have 10 minutes a day to memorize or revise a few ayahs.

Another standout feature is how great Quran Companion looks. Of course, it’s not just about being pretty. However, the great design undeniably makes it very easy to use. With soothing beautiful colours and clear big font, you’ll no longer have the woes of small or hard to read font, which can often happen on a small screen such as the phone. You can even additionally customize the display to your learning preference. Choose from the Madinah script or Urdu (IndoPak) display, with ayah view or page view selections.

Finally, Quran Companion is packed with learning technologies, games, motivational tools and social features (what could be better than memorizing the Quran with your loved ones and fellow sisters in faith?)

These features include guided lesson plans that can be customized to your free time and ability, a ‘Swipe to Reveal’ game based on proprietary technology to make learning and revision fun, social-led group challenges and personal challenges for fun and easy goal-setting, a powerful analytics dashboard, a “Hasanah Calculator” based on a Sahih Hadith that measures and encourages progress, and a daily global leaderboard for social motivation.

For any Muslimah who aspires to memorize the Quran but struggles to find the time and motivation, this app is a great solution to support your Quran memorization journey — whether you aspire to memorize the next surah on your resolution list or dream of reaching the rewarding ranks of being a hafiza.

Quran Companion has been released in May 2016 on Google Play for Android. Quran Companion for iPhone is anticipated for release on the Apple Store before Eid Al Fitr 2016, in June 2016. To be notified when iPhone App will be launched, sign up here to get early access!

Do remember that Allaah provides for those who obey and fear Him . You will never lose while walking on the path towards pleasing your Lord!

Do remember what Allaah states in the Qur’an:

“And whosoever fears Allah and keeps his duty to Him, He will make a way for him to get out (from every difficulty). And He will provide him from (sources) he never could imagine. And whosoever puts his trust in Allah, then He will suffice him…”{Surat At-Talaq 65 : Verses 2-3}

Reflect on this beautiful story of how Allaah honored this poor Muslimah and provided for her from unimaginable sources! Subhan’Allaah! What a lesson!

Narrated `Abdullah ibn Zayd ibn Aslam, from his father, from his grandfather, who said:

When I was accompanying `Umar ibn al-Khattab on his patrol of Madinah at night, he felt tired, so he leant against a wall. It was the middle of the night, and (we heard) a woman say to her daughter, “O my daughter, get up and mix that milk with some water.”

The girl said, “O Mother, did you not hear the decree of Amir al-Mu’minin today?”

The mother said, “What was that?”

The girl said, “He ordered someone to announce in a loud voice that milk should not be mixed with water.”

The mother said, “Get up and mix the milk with water; you are in a place where `Umar cannot see you.”

The girl told her mother, “I cannot obey Him (Allah) in public and disobey Him in private.”

`Umar heard this, and told me: “O Aslam, go to that place and see who that girl is, and to whom she was speaking, and whether she has a husband.”

So I went to that place, and I saw that she was unmarried, the other woman was her mother, and neither of them had a husband. I came to `Umar and told him what I had found out. He called his sons together, and said to them:

“Do any of you need a wife, so I can arrange the marriage for you? If I had the desire to get married, I would have been the first one to marry this young woman.”

`Abdullah said, “I have a wife.”

`Abd al-Rahman said, “I have a wife.”

`Asim said, “I do not have a wife, so let me marry her.”

So `Umar arranged for her to be married to `Asim. She gave him a daughter, who grew up to be the mother of `Umar ibn `Abd al-`Aziz who was called ‘Umar al-Thani (the second ‘Umar).

Who would have thought that we can learn the one-oh-one (101) of how to be a muslimah from a flower which is a form of a plant? Confusing, don’t you think? Allow me to elaborate.

The beauty of a flower is that it grows from different types of soil and from all parts of the Earth. Each has its own benefits, be it medicinal, edible, aromatic, or beauty. Bees use them to make honey, shelter a caterpillar, ant and what have you.

“Verily, We created man from a product of wet Earth; then placed him as a drop (of seed) in a safe lodging; then We fashioned the drop into a clot, then We fashioned the clot into a little lump, then We fashioned the little lump into bones, then clothed the bones with flesh, and then produced it another creation. So blessed be Allah, the Best of Creators!” {Surah Al Mu’minun 23 : Verses 12-14}

Allah has created each and every flower uniquely and each flower was created with a purpose to serve this earth. Similarly, we were all created from different types of soil and come in different and beautiful colours. We each have a purpose in this life be it a doctor, engineer, author, artist, astronaut, chef, Imam, mua’athin etc. We were all created with a gift we can share with mankind, but ultimately our greatest purpose in this life, like the flower, is to worship Allah.

“Do you not realise that everything in the heavens and Earth prostrates/submits to Allah: the sun, the moon, the stars, the mountains, the trees, and the animals? So do many human beings, though for many others punishment is well deserved. Anyone disgraced by Allah will have no one to honour him: Allah does whatever He wills.” {Surah Al Haj 22 : Verse 18}

One the best forms of natural fertilizers in the world is manure (I know, how crappy). It is essential to a plant’s growth. Emulate a flower and rise above any crappy situation that life hands you and bloom like a flower. In plants, Allah has developed a system to convert carbon dioxide into oxygen with the use of light. What we can take from that is, when we are in a poisonous environment (like carbon dioxide to a flower) Allah has created within each of us our very own mechanisms to help us convert that situation into a positive one. Be assured that ultimately you can rely on the light of Allah through “dark” times. He is Allah, An-Nur (The Light) after-all.

“Allah is the light of the Heavens and the Earth.”{Surah An-Nur 24: Verse 35}

“It is He who confers blessing upon you, and His angels [ask Him to do so] that He may bring you out from darkness into the light. And ever is He, to the believers, Merciful.”{Surah Al Ahzab 33 : Verse 43}

What about the thorns on the stem of a flower? Allah created flowers with thorns to protect it’s giving nature from the harmful disturbances of birds and insects, the same way Allah shielded the woman in Islam with the protection of the Hijab. When we buy an arrangement of flowers, despite the fact that it will eventually wilt and wither away we still water it, feed it floral foods, and give it sunlight. A bouquet of flowers could have probably lasted longer in its garden, but the moment we displaced it and gave it a new home it was just a matter of time before it dies. As Muslims we have been displaced from our real home – Jannah so, we aren’t bound to last in this temporary home we call Earth.

“Know that the life of this world is but amusement and diversion and adornment and boasting to one another and competition in increase of wealth and children – like the example of a rain whose [resulting] plant growth pleases the tillers; then it dries and you see it turned yellow; then it becomes [scattered] debris. And in the Hereafter is severe punishment and forgiveness from Allah and approval. And what is the worldly life except the enjoyment of delusion.”{Surah Al-Hadid 57: Verse 20}

Ultimately, our aim, when we pass on, is that we leave a legacy in the form of sadaqah jariyyah (continued charity). That could be represented as a bowl of potpourri – scattered debris of flowers.

Abu Hurairah (May Allah be pleased with him) reported: The Messenger of Allah (ﷺ) said, “When a man dies, his deeds come to an end except for three things: Sadaqah Jariyah (ceaseless charity); a knowledge which is beneficial, or a virtuous descendant who prays for him (for the deceased).”[Muslim]

To conclude, we as woman need to stop devaluing one another or devaluing ourselves. It only causes us division, low self-esteem and animosity. Each and every Muslimah is like a single, beautiful flower with her faith being the stem that keeps it structured. A single flower without its thorns, leaves and stem could stand beautifully but it is vulnerable and can be easily broken. In retrospect, if we gather all those beautiful flowers and arrange them into a bouquet, it’s virtually impossible to break them, and those who try to break them might even get hurt trying. There’s a unity in numbers. There’s a raw beauty in unity. All complete halves to make a whole. We are all long beautiful flowers but it’s much more beautiful when we form into a bouquet. So, let us strive to be a beautiful, colourful bouquet of flowers In Shaa Allah.

“And hold firmly to the rope of Allah all together and do not become divided. And remember the favor of Allah upon you – when you were enemies and He brought your hearts together and you became, by His favor, brothers. And you were on the edge of a pit of the Fire, and He saved you from it. Thus does Allah make clear to you His verses that you may be guided.”{Surah Al Imran 3: Verse 103}

Author’s Note:This article was inspired by my dear sister Zahra (Arabic for Flower) Dhubow. She woke me up from my slumber one afternoon and told me to call her back. As I went downstairs to grab a glass of water before I dialed her back, I happened to notice the bouquet of flowers my landlord had on the kitchen island. Those who know me, know that I LOVE puns and analogies, so I inwardly chuckled “haha” it’s a bouquet of “Zahras” (I know a lame joke, nevertheless it tickled my soul and yes…I most certainly did laugh at my own joke). It then dawned on me that the water needed to be changed as I started to see the flowers wilting and next thing BAM my next idea for an article walhamdulilah!

The plot twist in all of this is that here I thought I had an original idea and I’ve rewritten this piece, at least, five times and at one point during my revision, I figured I have the space to insert a verse from the Qur’an about how this Earth is but a temporary life; and subhana’Allah what happened next was shocking!

The very first ayah that I see, in Surah Al-Hadid where Allah had already used this analogy of the life to that of a plant and here I thought I came with an original idea. It just goes to show that this is a sign that The Holy Qur’an is indeed all wise with the most beautiful of metaphors already put into place.

Time Management is an issue which many Muslims struggle with. We see this in the fact that our conferences tend to start late, our weddings are always delayed, and too many people are late for Salah too often. Despite this, there aren’t many books in English aimed at helping Muslims with time management.

Getting The Barakah changes that. ‘Getting The Barakah: An Islamic Guide To Time Management’ is the first self-help book from Abu Muawiyah Ismail Kamdar, an accomplished author, blogger and Islamic teacher. The book focuses primarily on a 6 step process to effective time management, but also includes a section on time management tips and the importance of managing time in Islam.

The key message of the book is that, time is a resource which Allah has gifted us with and which we will be held accountable for on the Last Day. With this belief, learning to manage our time correctly is not just recommended, but necessary for fulfilling our purpose in life and earning the pleasure of Allah.

The author speaks about how Barakah is earned by living a righteous life and using one’s time wisely, and that one of the ways to earn Barakah is improving your time management skills and to commit to spending your time in a way that benefits the Ummah.

The author covers a variety of topics that are worthwhile to those who are struggling with time management. He speaks about overcoming procrastination, setting goals, maintaining momentum, dealing with distractions, and replacing bad habits with good habits.

The final chapter, which deals with time management tips is very beneficial and contains over two dozen easy to implement, yet powerful tools to help us manage our time better.

Overall, this book is highly recommended for any Muslim who is looking for a way to improve his/her time management skill and to live a more fulfilling life. The book is available in most e-book formats and as a paper-back; you can find more details about purchasing the book by clicking here.

Part of being a Muslim involves having long-term goals. We don’t just plan for this world, but rather our work should involve extending preparations for the hereafter; our eternal life. For this reason, when Allah speaks about life within the Qur’an, within many single verses, he mentions the life of this Dunya and the Akhirah together. Through his infinite mercy, he has given us the key to achieving both.

1. Know your objective
Success always involves having an objective; a goal that is set to be achieved. Without an objective, there isn’t a clear path to stride upon. Accountants, engineers, doctors, Imams and other professions all require having an objective. Before deciding as student which pathway to choose, every person has an objective and with that objective, a path is outlined eg. To become a doctor, a person has to study medicine and so they’ll enrol at Med school. Likewise, this same principle applies to us muslims. What is our objective? Our Prophet (peace be upon him) stated,

“The highest of them (levels of Paradise) is Firdaws and the best of them is Firdaws. The Throne is above Firdaws and from it springs forth the rivers of Paradise. If you ask of Allah, ask Him for Firdaws.”[Sunan Ibn Majah No. 4331]

Do not aim only for Paradise; aim for the best of it!

2. Dua
When speaking about attaining goodness, there are two verses that really stick out. Allah says,

فَمِنَ النَّاسِ مَن يَقُولُ رَ‌بَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا وَمَا لَهُ فِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ مِنْ خَلَاقٍ “And among the people is the one who says, ‘Our Lord, give us in this world,’ and they will have in the Hereafter no share.”{Surah Baqarah 2: Ayaah 200}

This verse is then succeeded by,

وَمِنْهُم مَّن يَقُولُ رَ‌بَّنَا آتِنَا فِي الدُّنْيَا حَسَنَةً وَفِي الْآخِرَ‌ةِ حَسَنَةً وَقِنَا عَذَابَ النَّارِ‌ “But among them is the one who says, ‘Our Lord, give us in this world good and in the Hereafter [that which is] good and protect us from the punishment of the Fire.’”{Surah Baqarah 2: Ayaah 201}

Just by analysing these two amazing verses, Allah teaches us not to only focus on worldly matters (i.e. wealth, fame, power) but the hereafter also has a right upon us to be sought. At the same time, we shouldn’t neglect this Dunya as Allah mentions,

وَابْتَغِ فِيمَا آتَاكَ اللَّـهُ الدَّارَ‌ الْآخِرَ‌ةَ ۖ وَلَا تَنسَ نَصِيبَكَ مِنَ الدُّنْيَا “But seek, through that which Allah has given you, the home of the Hereafter; and [yet], do not forget your share of the world.”{Surah Qassas 28: Ayaah 77}

Just don’t make your main priority the Dunya because it will fade away. What will remain is the afterlife. Make dua for it is one of the strongest connections a believer has with their lord.

3. Strive
Anything worth achieving will always require determination. Just take a look at the most successful people of today, they are where they are because of hard work. They didn’t allow anyone to tell them they couldn’t do it. But Allah has something better in store for those who believe and do righteous deeds. At the beginning of Surah Muminoon, a passage I’m sure nearly all of us are familiar with, Allah speaks about attaining goodness,

Who are these people that have already succeeded? Their characteristics are mentioned within the next few verses:

• They who are during their prayer humbly submissive • And they who turn away from ill speech • And they who are observant of zakah • And they who guard their private parts • And they who are to their trusts and their promises attentive • And they who carefully maintain their prayers{Surah Muminoon 23: Ayaah 2-9}

Allah has made this Dunya a training ground to carry out the criteria mentioned at the beginning of Surah Muminoon. By striving and struggling, the muslim achieves success in the Dunya and Akhirah.

4. Being Optimistic
The life of this world will not always go according to what you want nor will you get what you want. Allah will test you with many trials and difficulties to purify you for the next life.
The Prophet (peace be upon him) said,

“There is no Tiyara (evil omen) and the best is Fa’l (optimism)” They asked, “What is the Fal?” He said, “A good word that one of you hears (and takes as optimism).”[Sahih Bukhari No. 5754]

How do remain positive in times of struggle? By being optimistic in Allah and knowing that these trials will eventually come to an end.

5. Seeking protection
It will only be your enemies who will not want good for you and the greatest enemy to muslims is the Shaytan as Allah warned us within the Qur’an,

إِنَّ الشَّيْطَانَ لَكُمْ عَدُوٌّ فَاتَّخِذُوهُ عَدُوًّا ۚ “Indeed, Satan is an enemy to you; so take him as an enemy. He only invites his party to be among the companions of the Blaze.”{Surah Fatir 35: Ayaah 6}

Shaytan will do his utmost to get you to stray from your path. He will preoccupy you with the Dunya to the extent that either he’ll make you forget about the Akhirah, or he will trick you with the Dunya at the cost of the Akhirah and unfortunately, you will find muslims who are indulged in haram just to make a few extra pounds regardless of thinking whether Allah is pleased with them or not .Allah says,

The Akhirah will always have precedence over the Dunya because it is worth more in the sight of Allah and better for us as Muslims. This Dunya is a mere transitional phase that we will all pass through and for this reason, the famous Tab’i; Imam Hasan Al-Basri (Rahimahullah) would say,

“O youth! Seek the hereafter, for we often see people pursuing the hereafter and finding it as well as the Dunya, but we have never seen anyone pursue the Dunya and gain the hereafter as well as the Dunya.”[Al-Bayhaqi, Al-Zuhd Al-Kabir]

“The example of a believer, who recites the Qur’an and acts on it, is like an orange (utrujjah) which tastes nice and smells nice.
And the example of the believer who does not recite the Qur’an but acts on it is like a date that tastes sweet but has no smell.
And the example of the hypocrite who recites the Qur’an is like a sweet basil which smells good but tastes bitter.
And the example of a hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an is like a colocynth (bitter apple) which tastes bitter and has a bad smell.”[Sahih Bukhari and Sahih Muslim ].

CommentaryThis Hadith tells us that a believer who recites the Qur’an and acts upon it, Allah will grant him a high rank. He is loved by Allah and also enjoys public esteem. The believer who does not recite it but acts upon its teachings is also loved by Allah and people. The hypocrite who recites the Qur’an to have a good show has an evil and dark mind. Last of all comes that hypocrite who does not recite the Qur’an and has a dark mind and appearance.

]]>http://www.theidealmuslimah.com/2015/11/10/believer-and-the-citrus-fruit/feed/0Who Is A Coach & How Do I Find The Best One?http://www.theidealmuslimah.com/2015/11/02/who-is-a-life-coach-how-do-i-find-the-best-one/
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BismillahRabbi Zidnee Ilman
“My Lord! Increase me in knowledge.”

The coaching market is becoming more and more complicated with increasing numbers and types of coaches. The offer, skills and experience varies incredibly and can be very disorientating for someone new to the world of coaching. The key question here is how do you increase your chances of hiring the right coach to meet your needs. As someone who has extensive coaching experience and training I believe that coaching can have a significant impact in the life of an individual in the area of professional and personal goals.

In this article Saiyyidah Zaidi, Expert Growth Coach and Positive Psychologist and Founding Member of the Institute of Coaching at McLean Hospital (a Harvard Medical School Affiliate) will take you through the key things to consider when looking for a coach.

There are many reasons why someone hires a coach and many reasons why we do not. A coach is not for everyone.But, if you are ready for it, a good coach can really help you by assessing your abilities and limiters from the outside and make suggestions on how you can improve. It takes time to find the right coach – someone you respect and someone who has the knowledge necessary to assist you. A coach that works for your best friend might not be right for you.

Who is a Coach?Essentially a coach helps people live out their potential. For me the power of coaching is in the ability to accelerate positive change. To provide the environment and process to enable a client to think about their thoughts and emotions, to reflect, learn and take forward what they experience and the actions they undertake and the feedback. The change occurs between sessions and that is the invisible power of change.

In life many of us are playing the ‘inner game’ and we don’t even know it. The relationship between self 1 (the conscious telling self) and self 2 (the unconscious automatic doer) can be profound. Knowing how to play the inner game is about finding yourself and being yourself and the coach supporting you to do that- being aware of negative self talk and embracing it to pull out reflection and learning; and thriving on positive self talk whilst also reflecting and learning. A good coach will always find the elephant in the room.

So how do you select a good coach?
Here are some tips to help everyone looking to hire their first coach. As an experienced coach I love working with ‘educated clients’ and the contents of this article will help you to become just that! A client that is able to stretch a coach is worth their weight in gold.

EXPERIENCE

Coaching experience: Many coaches will answer this either in their introduction to you but if they don’t do ask them:

Why did you become a coach?

What is the nature of your experience?

What did you do before you became a coach?

Training: I always recommend potential clients do a Google search for their coach to find out a bit more about them. There you will find some of the answers to these questions and if not, do ask.

Where were you trained? Are you accredited?

What other relevant qualifications/experience do you have?

What do you think are the key skills for a good coach?

What professional memberships do you have?

References: Always obtain a reference or get information on case studies. You want to work with a coach that you have complete confidence and trust in. After all, this is your personal and professional life we are talking about.

APPROACH

Trust and Chemistry: Without the appropriate chemistry I do not believe a coach can serve a client. Rapport and chemistry go both ways and when it exists coaching can be magical.

Style: Ask the coach to explain what kind of coaching they use and why. Also ask them if they distinguish between life coaching, business coaching, counselling and mentoring. (Coaching is not counselling, therapy or mentoring and if the coach is not able to distinguish this then I would recommend you find someone else).

Before and after the session: The difference between a good and excellent coach is what takes place before and after the session. I believe both coach and client should centre themselves and make sure that they are present and ready for the session. A few minutes either side of a coaching session can really help to make the session more productive and embed the new realisations from the coaching session.

PRACTICALITIES

Location: Regardless of where the location is it is important for there to be no physical and metaphorical distractions- the coach should be 100% focused on the needs of the client, if you hear a kettle boiling in the background or some notification noises going off on the other side- challenge your coach.

Method: There are various methods and technologies for coaching (Skype, phone, face to face) and we should consider the impact of these technologies in coaching and how a coach can serve a client. Using technology for coaching sessions has no impact when the client (and coach) are familiar with using it.

Length of time for sessions: Recently I experienced a coaching session 6 minutes in length where my client said ‘That was a life changing experience!’ Now this is probably unusual, but the point is that coaching sessions can vary from 6 minutes to 120 minutes. What I have found in my experience is that the level of focus and openness are the things that create the real value in coaching for the client and this can happen in either 6 or 120 minutes. More often than not the client requires time to get deeper into the subject matter. Now when we look at focus – if you are really in the zone, results are no longer related to time but the ability for your sub-conscious to communicate with the conscious.

Pricing & Programme:What is the typical coaching programme and fee structure? Make sure that you are clear on what you are signing up for. In my experience as both coach and client the fee for an excellent coach will stretch you a little but it’s worth every penny/cent because the breakthroughs that you make in your life/business are priceless.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT/QUALITY

Coaching is a profession that is rapidly evolving and it is essential for any coach to have on going professional development to continuously refresh, update and expand knowledge and coaching capability. Ask your potential coach:

What professional development do you undertake?

What support and monitoring systems do you have?

Who coaches you?

Who supervises you?

I believe that all coaches need to have a coach and if you have the right accreditation and continuous development you will also have a supervisor who is supporting your coach to be the best coach that they can be so that they can serve you in the best way possible.

An average coach enables the client to improve on the situation now, an excellent business coach will also deal with the future – Brian Tracy said ‘Life is like a combination lock – your job is to find the right numbers, in the right order, so you can have anything you want.’

If you are looking for a coach and would like to work with Saiyyidah please email her at sz@saiyyidahzaidi.com for information on how you can get a complimentary coaching session inshaAllah.

Authored by Saiyyidah ZaidiSaiyyidah Zaidi is the Positive Psychologist and Expert Growth Coach at Millionaire Muslimah and the founder of Working Muslim. She is an international speaker and is known for her training and seminars on entrepreneurship, work faith balance, positive psychology, high performance and abundance. You can find out more about her work at www.MillionaireMuslimah.com and www.facebook.com/workingmuslim.Edited by Shamsiya Noorul Quloob